SXSW 2014: Lady Gaga Is The Keynote Speaker

Lady Gaga is confirmed as the keynote speaker at this year’s South by Southwest in Austin. Fuse News host John Norris will help lead the March 14 event.

Lady Gaga will also perform at the festival for the first time this year. Initially, she was denied a permit to do exactly what she wanted: perform on a 56-foot Doritos vending machine, at a parking lot in the middle of Austin. Rightfully so, organizers figured that the throngs of people going to see her would be unmanageable.

This time, Lady Gaga will sing at the Doritos #Boldstage at Stubbs. Sponsorship, however, isn’t the only reason why her SXSW appearance will be notable.

For one, Lady Gaga’s festival performance could hint at what to expect from artRave: The ARTPOP Ball, her fourth world tour that starts in May. Lady Gaga is also the first female since Lucinda Williams in 1999 to deliver a keynote address, following those by Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Geldof and Smokey Robinson. For a hint of what to expect, revisit Grohl’s keynote speech below.